The points of issue
First edition, Ravan Press / Taurus, Johannesburg, 1981. Hardcover, octavo, dust jacket. The South African edition was published to reach local readers and was promptly banned by the apartheid regime. UK (Jonathan Cape) and US (Viking) editions appeared the same year, 1981, and are treated as near-simultaneous.
Is this the true first?
Dealer consensus treats the Ravan Press / Taurus South African edition of 1981 as the true first, with Jonathan Cape (UK) and Viking (US) as concurrent same-year issues rather than the priority printing. The original record's preference for Jonathan Cape as the true first is reversed here.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Jonathan Cape (UK) and Viking (US), both 1981, are near-simultaneous editions but are not given priority over the Ravan / Taurus South African issue. Later Penguin paperbacks are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of July's People a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, Ravan Press / Taurus, Johannesburg, 1981. Hardcover, octavo, dust jacket. The South African edition was published to reach local readers and was promptly banned by the apartheid regime. UK (Jonathan Cape) and US (Viking) editions appeared the same year, 1981, and are treated as near-simultaneous.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Dealer consensus treats the Ravan Press / Taurus South African edition of 1981 as the true first, with Jonathan Cape (UK) and Viking (US) as concurrent same-year issues rather than the priority printing. The original record's preference for Jonathan Cape as the true first is reversed here.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Jonathan Cape (UK) and Viking (US), both 1981, are near-simultaneous editions but are not given priority over the Ravan / Taurus South African issue. Later Penguin paperbacks are reprints.
I have a first edition of July's People — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.